Shuttle eye



- Dec}. 17, 19Z9- i i KAZAMIAS 1,740,023

SHUTTLE EYE Filed Feb. 20, 1928 INVENTOR WITNESS: ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MICHAEL TH. KAZAMIAS, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAIPER GOR- IPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE SHUTTLE EYE Application filed February 20, 1928.

This invention relates to automatically threading shuttles for looms and is more particularly directed to the tensioning means for the thread as it is withdrawn from the shuttle.

It is now the ordinary practice to provide automatically threading shuttles with some kind of tensioning means for the purpose of controlling the thread as it is laid in the shed, but much difficulty has been experienced with the tensioning means heretofore employed, especially on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment. Should the tension of the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment be different from What it is on subsequent picks of the shuttle, it is liable to cause imperfect cloth to be woven, and especially is this true in weaving with some kinds or characters of filling or weft, such, for instance, as rayon, silk, artificial silk and the like.

To remedy the difficulties that have been experienced, attempts have been made to provide automatically threading shuttles with spring clamping means between the members of which the thread may find its way during weaving and be thereafter suitably tensioned, but it has been found diificult to insure proper tensioning of the thread on the first pick following replenishment with this and other types of tensioning means, and if the thread is not normally engaged by the tensioning means on the first pick of the shuttle to enable the tensioning means to exert its full tensioning effect, the first pick is liable to show a defect in the cloth. In other cases, friction pads of yarn or textile material have been employed, but here again there was uncertainty that the pad would act to impart the desired tension to the thread on the first pick following replenishment, because of the swirling action of the thread. In some of the cases advantage has been taken of the swirling action of the thread in an attempt to bring the thread into engagement with the tensioning means, but in none of these cases so far as is known have the attempts been practically successful.

One of the important features ofthe present invention therefore consists in a tension- Serial No. 255,765.

ing means for automatically threading shuttles for looms, wherein, on the first pick following replenishment, the thread will unerringly be placed in control of the tensioning means and thereafter held with the same normal tension throughout the weaving operation. 1

More specifically stated, the present invention provides means for directing the swirling thread on the first pick of the shuttle into complete control of the thread tensioning means and so positioning the thread that during the first pick of the shuttle and thereafter it will be subject to the tensioning action of pad material and a presser, which remains substantially constant throughout the weaving operation.

The invention and new features thereof and novel combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form thereof.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan View of portion of a shuttle, showing the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the rear end of the device.

Figure 4- is a view of the strip of felt or' leather used with the device.

The shuttle A may be of the usual filling replenishing type and is provided with a. threading block or eye by which the shuttle becomes threaded automatically during the flight of the shuttle, and in these respects the threading block may be of usual character now well known except as modified in accordance with the present invention. As shown in the present instance of the invention, however, the threading block comprises a base 1 having a hole 2 therein for receiving the pin which fastens the device to the shuttle A and the lug 3 which engages a recess in the shuttle, and the side walls 4 and 5. with the head 6 formed on the upper edge of the wall 5. The

wall 5 is of greater length than the wall l and the head 6 is formed with a depending flange 7 which is of practically the same length as the upper portion of the wall 4, said flange being spaced from the wall so that a thread can be passed between the parts 7 and 4 into the passage 8 formed by the bottom, the wall 5 and the head 6 and its flange 7. The upper edge of the wall 4 is beveled to facilitate the entrance of the thread into said space. The forward end of the head, at its inner edge, is provided with the usual nose 9.

The threading block has secured thereto a pad or strip of yielding material, such, for instance, as leather, felt, or like substance having a yielding surface, and such pad or strip is herein shown as of T-shape and is appropriately secured at the bottom of the threading block passage. As indicated more clearly in Fig. 2, the bottom of the threadv passage has a groove 11 therein which extends through the side walls 4 and 5 and the head of the strip fits in this groove. The other end of the strip extends downwardly over the forward end of the bottom part of the device and is held thereagainst by the guiding post 12 which depends from a socket 13 formed on the under face of the head and the outer part of the wall 5.

On the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, as is wellknown, the end of the thread is secured to some fixed point, such, for instance, as the hopper stand orthe like,and as the shuttle passes through the shed the unwinding action of the thread causes it to swirl or swing in a circular path, and thepresent invention takes advantage of this fact to effectivelyguide the swirling thread into its final thread-tensioning position on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment.

As one good and effective means to this end, the shuttle is provided with a laterally and downwardly inclined thread presser which extends from a point adjacent the top of the thread passage and at its lower portion is provided with a presser foot located above the pad of friction material and normally held thereagainst by yielding means, the effect being that as the swirling thread is withdrawn from the shuttle during the first pick following replenishment, the laterally and downwardly inclined thread presser directs the swirling thread into position between the presser foot and in contact with the pad where it is held during the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and during subsequent weaving, with the result that the thread as it is withdrawn from the shuttle is subjected to the tensioning action of the pad and the presser foot.

A detailed means of carrying the present invention into effect is shown by the draw- I ings and comprises a member 14 of substantially triangular shape and formed of wire with its ends separated. This presser member is pivoted in the passage 8 by the screw 15 passing through an eye formed at the up per end of the diagonal limb of the member, into a threaded hole in the wall 5. The diagonal limb of the presser member 14 thus extends from the upper portion of the thread passage in a downwardly and laterally inclined direction to guide the swirling thread into control of the tensioning device on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and at the lower end portion of the diagonal limb is the laterally extending presser foot for engagement with the pad of yielding friction material. A coil spring 16 has one end connected with the other end of the member 1 and the other end of the spring is connected to a part of the wall 5, as shown at 17, this spring tending to hold the lower limb of the member 14 against the strip 10. i

From the foregoing it will be seen that the thread, when passed through the space be tween the parts i and 7 into the passage 8, will pass under the lower limb of the member 14 so that this member will press the thread against the strip 10. Thus the thread is yieldingly held against the strip so that there is no possibility of the thread getting loose while the shuttle is in operation and the thread is fed evenly and the fabric prevents it from wearing by coming in contact with the metallic lower surface of the device. If any knots should occur in the thread, the member i l will swing upwardly and let the knot by, thus preventingbreakage. The member 14: holds the thread tightly in the middle of the shuttle eye, instead of at either end as in other devices of this nature. This helps to make the fabric smooth and prevents broken picks and produces softer cloth.

From the construction described as one good form of the present invention it will be apparent that the thread is placed in control of the thread tensioning means and in its normal thread-tensioning position on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, and that thereafter during weaving it will occupy the same tensioning position, with the result that the tension of the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment will remain the same as it is during subsequent weaving operations.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage, a pad of yielding friction material in the thread passage, a thread presser constituted as an arm extending in a lateral and downward direction from the top of the thread passage and provided with a lateral presser foot for engagement with the pad of yielding friction material, and a spring acting upon the thread presser to cause the foot of the presser to hold the thread in contact with the yielding surface of the pad material.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage, a pad of friction material at the entrance of the thread passage, a thread presser extending from the top of the thread passage in a lateral and downward direction and having a presser foot bearing upon the pad of friction material, and means acting yieldingly to cause the presser foot to sink and hold the thread in the friction pad.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a thread passage, a pad of friction material at the entrance of the thread passage, a thread presser extending from the top of the thread passage in a lateral and downward direction and having a laterally extended presser foot bearing upon the pad of friction material, and means acting yieldingly to cause the presser foot to sink and hold the thread in the friction pad.

4. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage, a pad of yielding friction material in the thread passage, a thread presser and presser foot having an uninterrupted surface extending laterally and downwardly fro-1n the top of the thread passage and then laterally in the opposite direction above the pad, and means acting yieldingly to cause the presser foot to hold the thread in position against the yielding surface of the pad.

5. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage, a tension pad extending transversely of the thread passage, a thread presser constituted as an arm having an uninterrupted thread engaging surface inclined downwardly from the top of the thread passage and provided with a presser foot extending transversely of the thread passage above the tension pad that the thread may be directed between the presser foot and pad on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, and a spring acting to position the presser foot upon the pad and hold the thread on the pad.

6. An automaticall threading loom shuttle, a threading b ock having a longitudinal thread passage, a pad at the entrance of the thread passage, a downwardly inclined thread guide having a laterally ex tending presser foot that the thread may be directed into position between the presser foot and pad on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and thereafter held from lateral movement by the yielding sur: face of the pad to subject the thread to pad tension and presser foot tension.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL TH. KAZAMIAS. 

